Large Meta-Analysis Confirms Calcium Supplements Safe for Older Women

A new meta-analysis of 18 randomized, placebo-controlled trials involving data from 63,563 patients has found that calcium supplements are safe for elderly women. Published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, the meta-analysis concluded that calcium supplements (with or without vitamin D) do not increase the risk of coronary heart disease or all-cause mortality in post-menopausal women. The findings are important because they dispel the concern that calcium supplementation contributes to arterial plaques and heart disease, especially in women. According to this meta-analysis, there is simply no mechanistic evidence that calcium has these negative effects. The results of this analysis, along with four previous studies, point to the safety of calcium supplements, a nutrient that is currently under-consumed by most Americans.